ASUU STRIKE: FG, ASUU To Meet Again Next Week

Academic Staff Union of Universities met across the country on Thursday to consider the offer by the Federal Government.

The
ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Faggae after a meeting with President
Goodluck Jonathan which ended in the early hours of Tuesday had told
reporters that the union would take back an undisclosed message to their
members.

The
PUNCH gathered that the striking public universities lecturers met in
the nine zones of ASUU with branch chairmen to discuss the outcome of
the meeting with the President.

The
meetings presided over by zonal coordinators afforded them (zonal
coordinators) the opportunity to brief the branch chairmen about the
offer made by the Federal Government to revamp the public universities
across the country.

The
Federal Government had at the last Tuesday marathon meeting agreed to
inject N1.1tn into the universities over the next five years. The money,
the Federal Government promised, would be released at the rate of
N220bn annually starting from 2014.

The
Ibadan zone of ASUU held its meeting at the Federal University Abeokuta
on Thursday while that of the North Central Zone took place at the
Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State.

Sources
at both meetings said that though the union officials were not happy
that the N400bn per year they asked for was not granted, they were
however happy at the sincerity of purpose displayed by President
Jonathan.

Though
they expressed varied opinion about the offer, they were unanimous in
commending Jonathan for being the first Nigerian leader to meet with the
union.

When contacted, the Coordinator of the North Central Zone, Dr. Suleiman Mohammad declined comments on the meeting.

Mohammed, who said he was attending to some pressing issues, said only the ASUU President could speak on the issue.

But feelers across the zones, however, suggested that the lecturers might have accepted the offer of the government.

Although
branch chairmen still have to call congresses, it was gathered that the
union may have made up its mind to call off the strike after meeting
with the Federal Government again next week.

A
top official of the union said “We are happy with the humility shown by
Jonathan to personally meet with us. This is the first time a sitting
President will meet with the union to thrash out issues. Members were
impressed with him and the strong commitment that he displayed. But
some expressed fear that the new deal could go the way of past
agreements that were not honoured.